“But as for me,” you say, “I hope that it is in me to rise to a higher rank than that!”
I should pray, rather than promise, that we may attain this; we have been forestalled. We hasten towards virtue while hampered by vices. I am ashamed to say it; but we worship that which is honorable only in so far as we have time to spare.
But what a rich reward awaits us if only we break off the affairs which forestall us and the evils that cling to us with utter tenacity!Then neither desire nor fear shall rout us. Undisturbed by fears, unspoiled by pleasures, we shall be afraid neither of death nor of the gods; we shall know that death is no evil and that the gods are not powers of evil.
That which harms has no greater power than that which receives harm, and things which are utterly good have no power at all to harm. There await us, if ever we escape from these low dregs to that sublime and lofty height, peace of mind and, when all error has been driven out, perfect liberty.
You ask what this freedom is? It means not fearing either men or gods; it means not craving wickedness or excess; it means possessing supreme power over oneself. And it is a priceless good to be master of oneself. Farewell.
I should pray, rather than promise, that we may attain this; we have been forestalled. We hasten towards virtue while hampered by vices. I am ashamed to say it; but we worship that which is honorable only in so far as we have time to spare.
But what a rich reward awaits us if only we break off the affairs which forestall us and the evils that cling to us with utter tenacity!Then neither desire nor fear shall rout us. Undisturbed by fears, unspoiled by pleasures, we shall be afraid neither of death nor of the gods; we shall know that death is no evil and that the gods are not powers of evil.
That which harms has no greater power than that which receives harm, and things which are utterly good have no power at all to harm. There await us, if ever we escape from these low dregs to that sublime and lofty height, peace of mind and, when all error has been driven out, perfect liberty.
You ask what this freedom is? It means not fearing either men or gods; it means not craving wickedness or excess; it means possessing supreme power over oneself. And it is a priceless good to be master of oneself. Farewell.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 75
The naysayers, found in a variety of different ideological tribes, will scold the Stoics for being so naïve. How could those befuddled philosophers possibly claim that we have the choice to be good? Just look at the world around us, and it should be obvious why biological urges, financial markets, and the social pressures to conform must determine all of our behavior.
Put the jumbled mass of the big picture aside for a brief moment, and then focus solely on what is inside of you. Regardless of the circumstances, and however formidable the compulsions, you have the power right now to form a judgment about what you consider to be beneficial or harmful. You possess the freedom to follow through on that estimation, and to act upon your convictions. You may make of the impressions what you wish.
Who can stop you? What force can hinder you? If your reasoning is sound, you are thus willing to sacrifice everything else for the sake of your supreme good. If a love of money, or of fame, or of comfort dissuaded you, that was only because you yourself decided that they were more important. It’s as simple, and as difficult, as that.
The obstacle to liberty isn’t out there—it’s in here. Your character may not change the world to fit your desires, but it will change your desires to finally be at peace with the world. How much you want it will be settled by how thoroughly you comprehend the good within it, not by how anyone or anything else threatens or entices you.
This is why the Stoic is confident in his progress, and this is why he can overcome his own hesitation. He will no longer make cheap excuses, since he understands how the malady was always self-inflicted. Virtue will be as accessible as the time and effort we are willing to give it.
Could it be that those naysayers see a clever escape from their responsibilities, and a convenient snare for getting you to obey their whims? If so, it isn’t the fault of an inherently corrupt human nature, but of their own personal opinions. They remain as free to rise to the heights as the next man: they just don’t want to.
The naysayers, found in a variety of different ideological tribes, will scold the Stoics for being so naïve. How could those befuddled philosophers possibly claim that we have the choice to be good? Just look at the world around us, and it should be obvious why biological urges, financial markets, and the social pressures to conform must determine all of our behavior.
Put the jumbled mass of the big picture aside for a brief moment, and then focus solely on what is inside of you. Regardless of the circumstances, and however formidable the compulsions, you have the power right now to form a judgment about what you consider to be beneficial or harmful. You possess the freedom to follow through on that estimation, and to act upon your convictions. You may make of the impressions what you wish.
Who can stop you? What force can hinder you? If your reasoning is sound, you are thus willing to sacrifice everything else for the sake of your supreme good. If a love of money, or of fame, or of comfort dissuaded you, that was only because you yourself decided that they were more important. It’s as simple, and as difficult, as that.
The obstacle to liberty isn’t out there—it’s in here. Your character may not change the world to fit your desires, but it will change your desires to finally be at peace with the world. How much you want it will be settled by how thoroughly you comprehend the good within it, not by how anyone or anything else threatens or entices you.
This is why the Stoic is confident in his progress, and this is why he can overcome his own hesitation. He will no longer make cheap excuses, since he understands how the malady was always self-inflicted. Virtue will be as accessible as the time and effort we are willing to give it.
Could it be that those naysayers see a clever escape from their responsibilities, and a convenient snare for getting you to obey their whims? If so, it isn’t the fault of an inherently corrupt human nature, but of their own personal opinions. They remain as free to rise to the heights as the next man: they just don’t want to.
—Reflection written in 10/2013
IMAGE: Hieronymus Bosch, Ascent of the Blessed (c. 1505)
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